Spring suspension for vehicles



DSC. 24, D D. ARNER SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Filed NOV. 23, 1934 INVENTOR TORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a spring suspension for vehicles and more particularly to a spring suspension of this character which is intended for use on the bodies of trailers, whereby automobiles are convoyed or transported in quantities from a point of shipment to different customers or dealers.

In such trailers it is desirable to have the bottom of the body as low down as possible in order to permit the automobiles to be more readily loaded on to the trailer and also removed therefrom. For this purpose the rear wheels of the trailer are mounted by means of spring suspen sions on opposite sides of the body of the trailer in such manner that the use of a transverse axle between the supporting wheels is rendered unfnecessary and thus enables the bottom of the trailer to be brought down to a point below the i axis of the wheels and sufficiently near the ground that the automobiles may be readily loaded onto the trailer and unloaded therefrom.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved spring suspension for the supporting wheels whereby the same are mounted on opposite sides of the trailer body Without the use of an intervening connecting axle, which suspension means are so organized that they are capable of yieldingly carrying the maximum load which is likely to be imposed upon the same With ease and facility, and without liability of getting the suspension mechanism out of order, and which'permits of using a pair of wheels in tandem arrangement on each side of the trailer body an-d insures the longitudinal alignment of the two wheels of each pair so as to cause the same to track properly one after the other over the road and thus avoid side strains and undue wear which otherwise would occur.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of the rear part of an automobile transporting or convoying trailer equipped with my improved spring suspension.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3-3 Fig. l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line l- Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudim nal section taken on the correspondingly numbered line in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a plan View of one of the retaining or controlling arms of the adjusting means wherepurpose which is shown in the drawing is more 10 particularly intended for transporting automobiles, and as there shown the same comprises a bottom I I which is arranged close to the ground, and side walls projecting upwardly from opposite longitudinal edges of the body, one of these side l5 walls being shown at I2. The bottom and side walls of the trailer may be of any suitable construction, but it is preferable to employ for this purpose angle irons or bars which are suitably fabricated so as to produce a construction which is strong, light and durable.

On the rear part of the outer side of each of the side walls is arranged a pair of supporting wheels I3, I3 which are arranged one in front of the other and in longitudinal alignment, so that the wheels of each pair will follow properly lengthwise over the ground and preferably along the same track.

Each of these pairs of supporting wheels is yieldingly mounted on the outer side of the rear part of each of the side walls of the trailer body by a spring suspension mechanism which embodies my invention and which in its preferred form is constructed as follows:-

The numeral I4 represents an upright slide arranged adjacent to the inner side of each of the supporting wheels and provided at its lower end with a laterally projecting horizontal pivot or axle arm I5 upon which the respective supporting wheel I3 is journaled. This slide is preferably of cylindrical form and mounted in an uprighttubular main guideway Iii so as to be capable of not only sliding vertically in this guideway but also turning horizontally therein. This guideway is rigidly mounted at its inner side on the adjacent outer surface of the respective side wall of the trailer body so that the latter and this guideway move vertically together.

For the purpose of causing this main slide to work freely in the guideway I6 a pocket I'I is provided within the central part of this guideway and around the adjacent part of the main slide therein so as to effectively lubricate the cooperating surfaces between this main slide and the main guideway, and permit the body of the trailer and the supporting wheel to move freely relative to each other.

Leakage of the lubricant from between the Vmain slide and its guideway is effectively prevented by packing means or stuiling boxes comprising packing glands I8 secured in the upper Y and lower ends of the tubular main guideway and fitted closely around, the adjacent parts of the main slide I4, as shown in Figs3 and 5. By this means the jointbetween each main slide and its main guideway is maintained in an easy working condition and the lubricant is prevented from es.- caping and becoming wasted, so that replenishment of the lubricant is only necessary at infrequent intervals.

At its upper end each of the main slides I4 is provided with a horizontal bearing member which preferably has the form of a plate I9 which is provided at its opposite longitudinal edges with inner and outer flanges 2l).

Above the space between the two -main guideways of the respective pair of supporting wheels is arranged'a spring member which forms part of the means whereby the supporting wheels are resilientlyconnected with theV body of the trailer vso that the load carried by theV trailer body is relieved from shock and carried without injury,k or

unduevibration.

This resilient member preferablyY has the form of a. longitudinal semi-elliptic spring-2|V which is bui-ltfup: of -a plurality of spring leaves, the centrall parts of which are connected with each other and mounted on the adjacent part ofthe respective side wall of the trailer body. AThis mounting may be effected in any suitable manner but preferably includes a clip 22 which embraces the central parts of the spring leaves 2I and is connected at itsupper end by means of a horizontal transverse pivot 23 with the adjacent part ofthe body side wall, so that the spring can either rock .bodily onrthis pin or opposite ends ofthe spring can move'vertically independently of each other.

At its opposite ends this spring is adapted-to exert a downward pressure upon the Ymain slides I4tofthe supporting wheels and this is-preferablyaccomplished by providing each end of the lowermost leaf of the spring with a bea-ring eye 24'whieh engages with the upper surface of one ofthebearing plates I9 between the longitudinal anges 20 thereof.

' Due to this construction both of the supporting wheels can rise and fall simultaneously andthe same are also free to rise-and fall independently of each other upon passing over uneven` roads, andY during such movement eachV end of vthe leaf spring 2I may be pressed upwardly by the respective main slide I4 when the supporting Wheel thereof is moved upwardly relatively to the body,

-andthereafter the resilience of thisend of the spring again presses this main slide downwardly in. its guideway, thereby cushioning the shock which otherwise would be transmitted from the wheels to the body and the load carried thereon.

Means are provided for holding eachfofrthe supporting wheels in correct longitudinal alignment so'that it will track properly without interfering end of each of the main slides I4 and preferably forming an extension of one end of the bearing plate I9 on the respective slide. In the preferred construction the retaining arms 25 of both main slides project horizontally and lengthwise of the 5 trailer body toward each other and have their opposing ends guided by auxiliary means on the adjacent part of the trailer, body wall; In the preferred construction these auxiliary guide .means include two upright auxiliary guideways 10 26 havlng preferably the form of upright channels arranged below the central part of the spring 2'I, and each having its open side facing the respective main slide I4; and a bearing member or nnger 21 forming an auxiliary slide which moves 15 vertically in the adjacent auxiliary guideway 26 and is adjustably connected with the adjacent retaining arm 25, so thatrthe latter can be adjusted horizontally and transversely relative to the auxiliary slide 26for bringing the respective support- 20 ing wheel I3vin correct longitudinal alignment relative to the trailer body.

The preferred means for effecting the adjustment of thisretaining arm25 relative to its auxiliary guide 2'I consist of two bolts 28, 28r ar- 25 ranged one behind the other and passing with theirupper parts through one of theguide fingers 21, while their lower parts pass through slots 29 inthe companion retaining arm 25,'as shown in Figs."1, 4, 5 and 6. Uponloosening Vthe bolts 281 3cr each yretaining arm 25 can be transversely moved and therebyturn each main slide in its tubular guidewaythe required extent for bringing the respective supporting wheel in correct alignment, i, after which the wheel will be heldin this position 36 bythe tightening of the nutson the bolts 28.

As a whole these means for resiliently andadjustably mounting the supporting wheels ofthe trailer on the body are very simple anddurable in construction so that they are 4not liableA to Aget 40 out of order but they can also `be readily adjusted for causing the supporting wheels ofeach pair to trail properly when the mechanism is rst assembled, and alsoVv permits of the requisite realignment incase this becomes necessary dueto wear. 45

I claim as my invention:-

1. In a spring suspension for vehicles, a body,

a pair of vertical tubular guideways mountedv one in front ofv the other on each side of said body, f upright cylindrical slides each moving vertically 50 in one of said guideways, spring Vmeans mounted on the body andV pressing downwardly on each of said slides, an axle arm-projecting laterally Vfrom each of said slides and forming a: pivotal support/for a vehicle wheel, and adjusting-means 55 for horizontally turning each of said vertical slides and aligning the wheels of the respective slides including a vertical auxiliary guide mounted on the body, a retaining arm arranged on saidf l cylindrical slide, and a bearing member adjustable transversely on said-retaining arm and engaging said auxiliary guide.

2. In a spring, suspension for vehicles, acbody, a pair of lvertical tubular guideways mounted?" one in front of the other-on` each side of said body, upright cylindrical slides each moving vertically in one of said guideways, spring means mounted on the body and pressing downwardly Y on each of said slides, an axle arm projecting laterally from each of said slides and forming a pivotal support for a vehicle wheel, adjusting means for horizontally turning each of said vertical slides and aligning the wheels of the re-` spective slides, and packing means arranged on` the upper and lower ends of each tubular guide and around the cylindrical slide therein.

3. In a spring suspension for vehicles, a body, a pair of vertical tubular guideways mounted one in front of the other on each side of said body, upright cylindrical slides each moving vertically in one of said guideways, spring means mounted on the body and pressing downwardly on each of said slides, an axle arm projecting laterally from each of said slides and forming a pivotal support for a vehicle wheel, and adjusting means for horizontally turning each of said vertical slides and aligning the wheels of the respective slides, including a vertical auxiliary guide arranged on the body, a retaining arm projecting laterally from each cylindrical guide and provided with a pair of transverse slots, a bearing member engaging said auxiliary guide, and clamping bolts mounted on said bearing member and passing through said slots. l

4. In a spring suspension for vehiicles, a body, a pair of upright tubular main guides mounted one in front of the other on each side of theA body, an upright cylindrical main slide moving vertically in each of said main guides and also rotatable horizontally therein, -packing means arranged on the upper and lower ends of each tubular guide and around the cylindrical slide therein, an axle arm projecting laterally from the 5 lower end of each cylindrical slide and forming a pivotal support for a vehicle wheel, a horizontal bearing plate arranged at the upper end of each cylindrical slide, a semi-elliptic spring having its central part mounted on the body and l0 its opposite ends pressing downwardly on the bearing plates of the respective main slides, two upright auxiliary guides arranged side by side on the body between said main guides, retaining arms projecting toward each other from the upl5 per ends of said main slides, auxiliary slides engaging said auxiliary guides, and adjusting means for connecting each retaining arm with one of said auxiliary slides and permitting transverse adjustment of the respective retaining arm rela- 20 tive to its auxiliary slide for aligning the Wheels on the axle arms of the respective main slides.

DALE D. ARNER. 

